


you and i will be alright

by LugianBeforeSwine



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Meeting the Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 16:10:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20410585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LugianBeforeSwine/pseuds/LugianBeforeSwine
Summary: Alexei meets Kent's sister and niece. He makes a good first impression look effortless.“So,” Claire Parson says as she ushers them into the living room, “I finally get to meet the illustrious Alexei Mashkov in person. Kent never shuts up about you.”





	you and i will be alright

“Huh,” Kent says, gaze flicking to Alexei as they stop at a red light.

“What?” Alexei asks.

Kent reaches over and takes Alexei’s left hand in his right. “I just wasn’t entirely convinced you could get nervous about anything.” The light changes, and Kent hits the gas while Alexei makes an indignant noise.

“Of course I get nervous! You think I am calm before every game?”

Kent laughs, squeezing Alexei’s hand. “That’s different, more like an adrenaline rush.” He pauses while Alexei sulks. “She’s gonna love you, you know. They both are.”

“And how are you knowing this?”

“Will you let Lizzie sit on your shoulders?”

“If she is wanting to, yes.”

“Then she’ll love you.”

“And your sister?”

Kent turns down a residential street. “I guess Claire can be…kind of intimidating. But she has a sense for people, can tell right away when someone’s bullshitting her. And you’re the most genuine person I know, so…” Kent shrugs. “It’ll be fine.”

Alexei makes a little noise of frustration as Kent pulls up to a small brick ranch. “I know, I know, is just…”

Kent turns the car off and gives Alexei his full attention. “Just what?”

“Is important to impress them, yes? Because you are close to them. Because what they are thinking about me, this matters a lot. What if they are thinking, ‘This Alexei, he is not good enough for Kent’?”

“But you are,” Kent says firmly, leaning across the console to hold Alexei’s other hand too. “If anything, it’s _me_ who’s not good enough for _you_.”

“Not true,” Alexei says, and kisses the backs of Kent’s hands. “Really, really not true.”

Kent is about to reply when his phone vibrates with an incoming text. He reluctantly lets go of Alexei’s hands and snorts when he reads the message from his sister: _u gonna come in or u gonna keep staring soulfully into eachothers eyes forever_

Kent turns the phone so Alexei can read the text, and Alexei laughs, then breathes out a big sigh. “I think I like her already.”

Kent grins at him and leans in for a quick kiss.

“So,” Claire Parson says as she ushers them into the living room, “I finally get to meet the illustrious Alexei Mashkov in person. Kent never shuts up about you.” She reaches out to shake his hand, and Alexei takes her hand in both of his, a big smile on his face.

“Is so nice to be meeting you, Claire. I am happy to hear Kent talks about me. I am talking about him to my sisters all the time, too.”

“What?” Kent says, a flush beginning to creep up his neck. “You talk to your family about me?”

“Of course!” Alexei says brightly, any trace of his prior nervousness seemingly gone. “I tell them how Kent is so sweet, he is even sending me flowers on my birthday! Teammates were very jealous, saying they never get flowers or anything—”

“Okay!” Kent says, at the same time Claire says, “Damn.”

Alexei looks between the two of them, clearly amused. Kent appears flustered, and Claire looks like she’s about to say something else, when the sound of a door slamming open against a wall interrupts them.

A blonde blur in a blue shirt skids around the corner, stopping in front of the three adults. “Ta-da!” Lizzie says, standing with her arms flung out wide and a huge grin on her face.

“You traitor!” Kent gasps. Claire laughs. Alexei stares at Lizzie, mouth open in shock as she spins around to show him the back of her shirt.

“You have my jersey!” Alexei exclaims gleefully, crouching down to be eye-level with the smiling five-year-old.

“I can’t believe this,” Kent says, face in his hands.

“What should you say?” Claire prompts her daughter, and Lizzie steps forward slightly, suddenly a little bashful.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Mashkov,” she intones politely.

“You call me Alexei, please! I am so happy to be meeting you, Miss Lizzie!”

Lizzie breaks into a grin again at his words, and rushes forward, launching herself into Alexei’s arms. Alexei laughs, squeezing her tight.

“I think she has a new favorite uncle,” Claire says to Kent, and Kent can’t help smiling at that.

As Alexei releases her, she rushes to Kent, who scoops her up in his arms. “Uncle Kenny,” she whisper-shouts excitedly, “when are you going to marry Uncle Alexei?”

Alexei barks out a laugh while Kent splutters. “I dunno, sweetheart,” he says.

“You gotta love kids,” Claire laughs as Kent puts Lizzie down, his face thoroughly red. “They don’t beat around the bush about anything.”

Alexei shoots Kent a wink before agreeing to follow Lizzie into the kitchen to see what she and Claire made for dinner. (“Mommy did most of it,” Lizzie adds graciously.)

Kent and Claire look after them for a moment before Claire claps a hand down on Kent’s shoulder. “You did good, little bro,” she says.

“I love him so much it’s ridiculous,” Kent says, the words coming out in a rush like he couldn’t stop them if he tried.

Claire’s smile tilts sideways a little, like she’s holding back laughter. “I think the feeling is mutual.”

Over dinner, Lizzie regales them all with stories of her friends at school, and excuses herself briefly to retrieve her number 90 Aces jersey (“I still like your team too, Uncle Kenny.”) As the evening winds down into the night, a yawning Lizzie staunchly refuses to go to bed, then promptly falls asleep in Kent’s lap as the four of them sit on couches in the living room, talking.

As Claire carefully extracts her daughter and carries her to her bedroom, Kent collapses against Alexei’s side, stifling a yawn in his shoulder. Alexei puts his arm around him and kisses the top of his head.

“So,” Kent says, leaning away a little to look Alexei in the eyes. “That’s my family.”

“Yes,” Alexei says, smiling. “They are wonderful, Kent. Little Lizzie, she is so precious. And Claire, she is so kind. Like you,” he adds.

“See? You had nothing to be nervous about.”

“I am still little nervous, Kent.”

Kent straightens up, taking Alexei’s hand in his. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. I am just always having fast heartbeat around you.” Alexei shoots him a lopsided grin, and Kent groans.

“Have been working on English ‘pick-up lines,’” Alexei adds proudly.

“You don’t need to pick me up,” Kent says, blushing a little despite himself. “You already have me.”

“Yes, but am never tired of seeing you look like this,” Alexei says, brushing his thumb over Kent’s cheek. “I love you, Kent.”

Kent grins at him. “I love you too, Alexei.”

**Author's Note:**

> just wanted to mention one thing in case there's some confusion: claire's last name is still parson as she is not married. lizzie's dad was never really in the picture, and lizzie's last name is also parson. she and her momma are a happy little family <3
> 
> title from "forever" by billy raffoul (a fricking gorgeous song!)
> 
> thank you for reading!!


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